The spotted lanternfly is an invasive pest. It has the potential to significantly damage tress and crops, and greatly impact related industries such as orchards and logging. Infested trees develop weeping wounds as the insects extract vital nutrients from the trees and leave toxins behind. These wounds not only leave a greyish or black trail along the trunk, but also leave the tree susceptible to disease and harmful pests as the sap attracts other insects to feed.
The lanternfly needs to be exterminated in its nonindigenous habitat. However, the lanternfly is difficult to kill. One approach, advocated by the Department of Natural Resources of Pennsylvania involves knocking the insects to the ground and stomping on them. Unfortunately, the lanternfly is capable of flight. (It should be understood that although the lanternfly has wings, it does not fly in the traditional sense. Rather, with a combination of jumping and the use of its wings, the lanternfly can travel a significant distance in the air. Accordingly, as used herein, the term “flight-capable” refers to insects that both fly in the traditional sense, such as houseflies, and those that jump a distance many times their size, such as, for example, fleas and lanternflies.) If one attempts to physically step on lanternflies or otherwise crush them, they take flight immediately traveling 20 yards or so away. Thus, knocking a lanternfly down and stepping on it is simply not practical.
Another approach of exterminating these insects involves the use of powerful insecticides. For example, Multicide Wasp & Hornet Spray 20863, Dinotefuran, and Permethrin have been shown to be effective. Although effective, these insecticides pose environmental risks. Indeed, these insecticides have been used in such quantities that they are no longer deemed environmentally safe. Dinotefuran, for example, has been shown to be detrimental to bees, perhaps contributing to the collapse of bee colonies. Additionally, the application of these insecticides typically requires a licensed professional. Still another problem with these insecticides is that they often take time to kill the insect. For example, Dinotefuran takes hours to kill the lanternfly.
Therefore, what is needed is a non-toxic, environmentally-safe insecticide that can be applied by nonprofessionals to kill the lanternfly (and possibly other flight-capable pests) immediately. The present invention fulfills this need among others.